Renee Whittemore, formerly of The Wells Group, has joined the real-estate team at RE/MAX Pinnacle in Durango.

A Durango Realtor since 2007, Whittemore was a real estate agent for many years in her native Tennessee before relocating to Durango 10 years ago. She has lengthy experience in new home construction, in Durango and Tennessee, and helps her husband run their custom home-building business. She enjoys working with out-of-state buyers and helping them make the transition.

Whittemore is a member of the Institute of Luxury Home Marketing. Combined with her home construction experience and area knowledge, she possesses credentials both as a seller’s or buyer’s representative.

For more information, call (970) 201-7671. RE/MAX Pinnacle is located at 111 W. College Drive.

Keller Williams ranks high-satisfaction rating

According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction StudySM released earlier this month, Keller Williams Realty Inc. ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the home-buyer and home-seller segments.

Keller Williams achieved the highest scores in all measured factors across both segments, receiving the highest JDPower.com Power Circle RatingSM among its competitors overall.

The fifth annual study measures customer satisfaction with the largest national real estate companies within the home-buyer and home-seller segments. Scores are determined by examining three factors of the home-buying experience: agent/salesperson; office; and variety of additional services.

Keller Williams received the highest numerical score among full-service real estate firms for home buyers and home sellers in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Home Buyer/Seller StudySM.

Durango-based Airborne Media Group Inc. (Airborne) announced the hire of Marcia Baxter as chief business and IP development officer.

Baxter obtained her bachelor of electrical engineering degree from the University of Dayton. She began her corporate career at Proctor & Gamble in engineering development, progressing to packaging development in their Personal Care Division.

After six years with P&G, Baxter then went on to work at Kraft Foods Inc., where she worked in research and development, operations and procurement. Her career with Kraft included heading up international product divisions, leading developments in Germany, Switzerland and Latin America during her 16 year tenure.

Baxter moved to Durango in 2007. She has been involved in the community, serving on the executive team of Durango Friends of the Arts and on the board of the HWGA.

The Liberty School is seeking platinum, gold, silver or bronze sponsors for its primary fundraiser, its fourth annual Dyslexic Hall of Fame Gala.

Sponsorship will provide scholarships to kids with dyslexic and/or gifted learning needs, and will keep the school running for exceptional current and future students. The school also is seeking nominations of business persons, professionals or artists who are also dyslexic to be inducted into the hall of fame.

The Durango Chamber of Commerce Lunch & Learn on the topic of “Employee Engagement: Moving Beyond a New Job Description & Title” will take place at noon Sept. 26 at First National Bank of Durango, 259 W. Ninth St.

Coral Rhan of Carol Rhan Consulting will present. The cost is $10 for members and $20 for nonmembers. Participants will learn five questions that can help engage employees. This session is for employees and employers. Reservations are required.

Certified Public Accountant Rachel Lasiewicz has been named controller at La Plata Electric Association.

Lasiewicz will help oversee the financial management of the cooperative, including accounts payable/receivable.

Lasiewicz comes to LPEA from Moss Adams CPAs, among the largest accounting firms in the United States offering accounting, assurance, tax and consulting services to its clients. Lasiewicz was hired as staff accountant at the Albuquerque branch after her graduating from Fort Lewis College in 2010 with a degree in accounting. Working in assurance, she had recently been promoted to senior accountant.

A Durango native, Lasiewicz was an LPEA scholarship recipient and interned at the cooperative throughout her college career. Relocating to Durango with her fiancé, Chris Gilman, Lasiewicz is glad to be back in Durango.